The LG Steam LDF7932[ST] dishwasher.

But in this year's chart, with a repair rate of 23 percent, LG was the most repair-prone brand of dishwasher, based on the latest data from the Consumer Reports National Research Center's Annual Product Reliability Survey. The survey covered nearly 114,000 Consumer Reports and ConsumerReports.org subscribers who bought a dishwasher between 2005 and the first half of 2009. The repair rate reflects the percentage of all dishwashers that were ever repaired or had serious problems that were never repaired, adjusted for age and usage of the dishwasher.

This marks the first time we've had enough historical data to include LG in our frequency-of-repair report for dishwashers. LG dishwashers represented 2 percent of dishwashers bought by our subscribers during 2008 and the first half of 2009. (The $1,000 LG Steam LDF7932[ST], one of the highest-scoring models in our ratings, is shown.)

LG's repair rate was more than double the 11 percent rate for all of the dishwasher brands in our brand-reliability survey. Fisher & Paykel remained one of the most repair-prone brands, at 18 percent, down from 23 percent in 2008.

—Kimberly Janeway

Essential information: If you're in the market for a new dishwasher, use our free buyer's guide, and check out our ratings of dozens of models and learn where to get the best deals on appliances (available to subscribers). If dishwashers are eligible in your state, take advantage of a rebate from the $300 million cash for clunkers for appliances program. Note: Although models within a brand can vary, and design or manufacturing changes might affect future reliability, selecting a brand with a good repair history can improve your odds of buying a reliable dishwasher.